Exploring rocks

We loved being scientist and making observations about our rocks! We described the shape, size, texture, and color of our rock and compared and contrasted them to our partners rock. 

Addition

We have been working hard on answering word problems. 

Check out how we remember our standard! 

Now I know what you are thinking. We did not solve our math problems like this when we were in school. But if you really think about it, we were told to do the even problems for class work , odd was for homework (and the answers were in the back of the book) , and we usually skipped the word problems. 

Most of the time in life a problem isn't as black and white as 2+2. We have a problem and we have to decide what to do. Do we add, subtract, multiply, or divide?  How do we know which one to do? That is where word problems come in. If we teach students now how to dissect a problem and figure out what they are looking for, we are giving them a huge advantage. 

If we look at our story problem and know the parts but don't know the whole amout, we will be using addition to solve our word problem. 

We can use several strategies to then answer of story problem. We can draw a picture, use a ten frame, or a number line. Using more than one strategy allows us to double check our work and make sure we are correct! 

Living and Nonliving

Gummy worms and earthworms

 Which one is living and which one nonliving? And more importantly...why?

First we observed gummy worms. Do the move by themselves? Do the breathe? Do they reproduce? Do they need food, water, or air? Do they grow and change? 

No! They are nonliving 

Then we observed earthworms. Do the move by themselves? Do the breathe? Do they reproduce? Do they need food, water, or air? Do they grow and change? 

Yes! Not only are they living but the students reactions when they held (or only touched) them was priceless! 

After we observed both, we filled out our observation sheet! We had a lot of fun! 

Literacy Stations

Station 1: smartboard 

We are working on recognizing and spelling our sight words. 

Station 2: sight words 

Students practice recognizing, spelling, and typing their sight words. 

Station 3: sticker story

Students use a sticker to engin their illustrations and the wrote a sentence(s) 

Station 4: vowel sort 

Students will sort pictures by their medial sound. 

Station 5: Listeming 

Station 6: computer 

Students work on their learning path on https://www.thelearningodyssey.com/

Station 7: letter of the week book 

Students look for sight words and read or echo their book. 

Station 8: iPad 

Donors Choose

Thank you so much to everyone who gave to our project to purchase stability balls for everyone on the class!  I am so excited to start using them! 

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/stability-balls/1881787/?challengeid=137328

Math Stations

Station 1 : Building Equations 

Students build equations using 2 different colored coins. 

Station 2: computer 

Students are working on https://www.thelearningodyssey.com/ (password is their lunch number)

Station 3: spinning equations 

Station 4: iPads 

Station 5: smart board 

Word problems with manipulatives 

Station 6: St Patrick's data collection 

Station 7: before and after 

Oobleck

We read Dr. Seuss' Oobleck and then made Oobleck! It was so much fun.